Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia

Zambia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female was 80.5% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
80.5%
World rank
55th
of 83 countries
All-time high
80.5%
in 2018
All-time low
49.8%
in 2007
Years of data
6
1990–2018

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia, 1990–2018

0204060801990200420181990: 57 %1999: 58.3 %2002: 63.8 %2007: 49.8 %2010: 75.7 %2018: 80.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia stood at 80.5%. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of up 61.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia peaked at 80.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 49.8%, in 2007.

That places Zambia 55th out of 83 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 57.6% 57.0% 58.3% 2
2000s 56.8% 49.8% 63.8% 2
2010s 78.1% 75.7% 80.5% 2

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 52 South Africa 87.5% compare
  2. 53 Vanuatu 86.1% compare
  3. 54 Iran 82.6% compare
  4. 56 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 77.7% compare
  5. 57 Algeria 76.4% compare
  6. 58 Tunisia 73.8% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia?
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia was 80.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 80.5% in 2018.
What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 49.8% in 2007.
How does Zambia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
Zambia ranks 55th out of 83 countries with data for 2018.
Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 61.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-female-percent/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,216 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of the female population between age 25 and age 64 who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of female literates aged 25-64 years by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.